The earliest part of Mills Cottage dates back to c.1843, making it possibly one of Victoria’s oldest homes. Further sections were added on through the rest of the 1840s, displaying a range of building techniques from the period. The house was first occupied by John Brabyn Mills and his brother Charles Fredrick and from the mid 1850s-1871 Captain John Mills, the Port Fairy Harbour Master occupied the house.
The house remains considerably intact including over fifty different wallpapers layered throughout.
The National Trust was awarded a Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) Living Heritage Grant for Mills Cottage in 2017 to undertake interior and exterior conservation works to the cottage. The works commenced in January 2018 and were completed in September 2018. The works involved interior and exterior conservation works, including stabilisation of wallpapers and interior finishes.
